The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-08-18


the six day coaches They were telescoped
as cars never were before, and three of them
were pressed into just space enough for one
The second car had mounted off its trucks,
crashed through the car ahead of it, and lay
there resting on the top of the seats, while
every passenger in the front car was laying
dead or dying underneath. Out of that car
but four people
CAME OUT ALIVE
On top of the second car lay the third, and
although the latter did not cover its bearer
as completely as the one beneath, its bottom
was smeared with the blood of its victims
The other cars were not SO badly crushed,
but they were broken and twisted in every
conceivable way. and every crushed timber
and beam represented crushed human
frame and broken bone Instantly the air
was filled with the cries Of the wounded
aud the shrieks of those about to die The
groans of men, the screams of women
united to make an, appalling sound,
and above all could be heard the agonizins
cries of little children, as In some instances
they lay pinned alongside their parents
And there was another terrible danger to be
met. The bridge was still burning AMI the
wrecked cars were laying on and around
the fiercely burning emberR Everywhere
in the wreck were wounded and unhurt
men, women and children, whose lives
could be saved if they could be
gotten ont, but whose death and
Death IN q most terrible form was certain II
the twisted wood of the broken cars caught
fire. And to fight the fire there was not a
drop OF water, and only some fifty able
bodied men who had still presence of mind
and nerve enough to do their duty. The
only light was the light of the burning
bridge. For four hours they fought like
fiends, and for four hours the victory hung
In the balance. Earth was the only weapon
with which the fire could be fought, and 20
the attempt was made to smother it out
There was no pick or shovel to dig it up; no
baskets or burrows to carry it in, and so,
desperate, they dug their fingers down into
the earth, which a long drouth had baked
almost as hard as stone, and heaped the
precious handsful thus hardly won upon tho
encroaching flames, and with this patchwork,
built handful by handful
KEPT BACK THE FOE
While this was going on, brave men crcpt
underneath the wrecked cars beneath the
fire and the wooden bars which held prison.
ers so many precious lives, and with pieces
OF board, and sometimes their hands, beat
side some unfortunate wretch who, pinned
down by heavy beam, looked on helplessly
while it seemed as if his death by fire was
certain, and while the fight was thus going
on, the ears of the workers were filled with
the groans of dying men, the anguished en-
treaties of those whose death seemed certain
unless the terrible blaze could be extin-
guishcd, and the cries OF those too badly
hurt to care In what manner the end were
brought about, SO only 1t would be quick So
they dug up the earth with their hands, reck-
less of the blood streaming out from broken
finger nails, and heaped it upon little mounds,
while oil the while came the heartrcnaing
cry. SFOr Gods sake don't let US burn to
death. But finally victory was won, the fire
was put out after four hours of endeavor.
and as its last spark died away o light came
up in the east to take their place, aud dawn
came upon a scene of horror While the fight
had been going on men had been dying, and
Jnefe were not so many wounded to take out
of the wreck AZ there had been four hours be-
FORE But in the meantime the country had
been aroused; help had come from Chats
worth, Forest and Piper City, and as the
dead were laid rcvereny alongside of each
other, out in the corn field, there were ready
hands to take them into Chatsworth, while
some of the wounded were carried to Piper
City: One hundred and eighteen was the
AWFUL POLL OF THE DEAD,
while the wounded number four times IA
many: The full tale of the dead cannot.
however, be told yet for days Chatsworth
was turned into, a mOrgue to-day The town
hall, the engine house. the depot were all
full of dead bodies, while every house in the
10 vii Iprvo had
There were over 100 corpses lying in the
s1temporized dead houses, and every man
or woman was turned into an amatuer but
Jealous nurse. Over in lumber yard the
roise OF hammers and saws rang out in the
air and in it busy carpenters were making
rough collins to carry to their homes the
dead bodies of the excursionists who. twelve
hours previous, had left their homes full of
pleasurabe expectations of the enjoyment
they were going to have during the vacation
which had begun. When the news of the
disaster was first flashed over the wires.
prompt aid was at once sent Dr. Steele.
CHIEF surgeon Of the Toledo, Peoria l. West
ern road, had come on mt once in special
train. and with him were two other surgeons
and their assistants. From Peoria also came
Doctors Martin, Baker, Flagloere and john
son, and from every city whence the
unfortunate excursionists had come from
their physicians and friends hurried on to
help them. From Peoria had also came del
egations Of the Redmen and the Ancient
Order of United Workmen, q number of both
societies being on the ILL fated train, and so
after O'Clock in the morning there were
plenty of people to do the work that needed
such prompt attention. In the town hall
was the main hospital, and In it anxious REL
atives and sorrowing friends sat and, fam
ming gently tho sufferers faces, Queried the
attending surgeons as they bound up the
wounds. and insisted that there must be
hope. Down in :. ~ - ! -,
TIE DEAD HOUSES, "
fathers, husbands, brothers, sisters, wives
and children tearfully inspected each face as
it was uncovered, and sighed as the features
were unknown, or cried out in::anguish when
the well remembered face, sometimes fear
fully mangled but yet recognizable, was un-
covered The entire capacity Of the little
village was taxed, aud kind hearted women
drove in from miles to give their gentle min
tstrattons to the su1fererA No sooner had
the wreck occurred than scene Of robbery
began. A baod of mtscreants, heartless
and with only criminal instincts was on
hand, and like the gucrrillas who throng
battle field the night after conflict and
lob 81 Al